How I won the Erasmus Mundus scholarship for a joint master’s degree in the UK and the Netherlands

The Erasmus+ program of the European Commission offers incredible scholarships for “Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degrees (EMJMD)” with which you will be able to study a master’s degree in different countries of Europe with all the costs paid.

These scholarships are for joint programs in different areas of study, and in this article Susana Macias from Mexico tells us about her experience winning the scholarship and studying an Erasmus Mundus Masters Program in Public Policy (Mundus MAPP)!

She had an incredible experience studying at the International Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands (ISS) and York University in the UK. In addition, she made many friends and explored these fascinating cities.

Now Susana is about to go to an internship at the World Bank in Washington!

If you are interested in studying a master’s degree in an area other than Public Policy, you can read the article and get a general idea of the requirements and application process as they are very similar for all master degree joint degrees.

Now Susana will tell us:

Characteristics of the scholarship

Application process

Experience

History

Master

Location

General opinion

Pros

Cons

Recommendations

If you love traveling with a purpose, I recommend you to check out the following sections of the blog:

Language: Proficient in English with a certificate (more information in section 2).

Level of studies: be a graduate with a university degree.

Have work experience

Duration: 2 years

Application fee: EUR 30

Visa: you have to apply for two student visas in order to live in the two countries where you are going to study. Universities provide a letter to present to the Embassies.

Financing:

For citizens of the EU, Macedonia, Iceland, Norway, Turkey, and Liechtenstein

Tuition: 9,000 EUR for two academic years.

Contribution to travel costs: 2,000 EUR for two academic years.

Monthly subsistence contribution: EUR 24,000 for two academic years

Rest of the world

Tuition: 18,000 EUR for two academic years.

Contribution to travel costs: 7,000 EUR for two academic years.

Monthly subsistence contribution: 24,000 EUR for two academic years.

2. Aplication Process

a. Scholarship

Select one of the scholarships from the catalog of joint master’s degrees: on the page eacea.ec.europa.eu you will be able to see a wide variety of scholarships, if you click on its acronym you will see a brief description and if you click on the title of the course it will take you to the scholarship website.

Go to the scholarship website: in my case I chose the scholarship for a master’s degree in public policy so I went to the website mundusmapp.org

Go to the “How to apply” page: see all the requirements to apply

Online Application

2 letters of recommendation: from your teachers or bosses at work.

An electronic version of all higher education academic records: diploma and certificate of qualifications (translated into English if necessary).

Curriculum vitae

Letter of motivation: 500 words explaining your reasons for applying for the scholarship.

b. Universities

International Institute of Social Studies ISS (in the Netherlands) and York University (in the United Kingdom)

Enter the website: the application process for both universities is done on the same website sits.ceu.edu

Create your profile

Upload the following documents:

Two letters of recommendation

Certificate of Qualifications (translated into English if necessary)

Curriculum vitae

Motivation letter

Proof of English proficiency

3. Mi experience

a. My History

Since I was studying for a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations I decided to dedicate my professional life to the study of development and economic growth. My dream was to enter the World Bank in Washington.

The selection process for any position within the World Bank is very competitive and requires a minimum of a Master’s degree for analyst and consulting positions. I knew then that I needed a Master’s degree outside of my native Mexico in order to be more competitive.

To be accepted on a full scholarship for a Master’s degree, I needed to be one of the best candidates. That’s why I graduated from the Bachelor’s Degree with Honorable Mention, went to work at the Mexican Council on International Affairs and then at CONACYT.

In October 2014, I applied to the Erasmus Mundus Master of Public Policy program and by September 2015 I was already living in The Hague. This was the best experience of my life… Ah, and I was just accepted to do an internship at the World Bank in Washington!

b. The Joint Master’s Degree

Studies: I studied a Master’s Degree in Public Policy.

My teachers: they were teachers from all over the world.

My classmates: they were from all over the world… Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America.

Activities: At ISS we had many parties with varied food and music. At York University there were thousands of activities, such as yoga, salsa, meditation, etc.

Parties: the best of my life.

c. Location

The master’s degree took place in two different universities, one located in The Hague, the Netherlands and another located in York, United Kingdom.

The Hague is an incredible city because it is super multicultural, there are lots of young people, the architecture is beautiful, it has great international restaurants, and in summer the festivals are the best.

York is the best city to live in the UK. It has the best cafes, nightlife, and Indian restaurants. Both cities are wonderful.

Accommodation: Both in The Hague and York I lived in student residences.

People: Both The Hague and York are multicultural cities, but above all, there are people from India, Africa, and other parts of Europe.

Weather: It rains almost daily in The Hague and it is only hot in June, July, and August and it rains a lot in York as well. In both cities every day is cloudy.

Food: In both cities, there are international restaurants. My favorite food was Indian.

Safety: both cities are extremely safe.

4. General Opinion

Pros

I liked both universities.

The teachers are very demanding and studying for a master’s degree in English was one of the biggest challenges of my life.

Cons

Especially at the ISS in The Hague, the university has very leftist ideas. My ideology is liberal and right-wing, which was an impediment for me to fully build my ideas on development and economic growth.

5. Recommendations

Before choosing which master’s degree to study, be clear about why you want to study that, why in your professional and personal plan you need a master’s degree.

Look for the curriculum of the professors, read their papers, and choose the master’s program that best suits you to achieve your future goals.

Look for people of your own nationality who have studied the master’s degree in which you are interested. Ask about the classes, the teachers, the ideas and theories, how were the tests, etc.

The most important about studying for a master’s degree outside your country of birth is not the glamour, or the countries you are going to visit. It’s that you really choose to study something that fills you with peace, joy and is in tune with your future plans. Travel, friends, and cultural exchange is an extra that will help you live the happiest experience of your life.

In the Study Abroad section, you can find more experiences of success cases winning scholarships to study abroad! If you had a similar experience and want to inspire others to apply please send an email to pilar.noriega@thelifestylehunter.com

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

ABOUT

Hi, my name is Pilar and I'm a Mexican expat living in South Africa! I've been able to travel to different countries in Africa, Asia, America and Europe studying, working and volunteering. Find here how to improve your career and achieve a better lifestyle.

AD

CURRENT LOCATION

Cape Town, South Africa

EMAIL SUBSCRIBE

Enter your email address to receive notifications every time there is a new blog post. Don't forget to confirm your email after you subscribe: